Logging bunk



y 29, 1945- G. A. BAIRD 2,377,201

I LOGGING BUNK Filed June 15, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor y GoeooAl'flfin/ea,

4 9 I v y G. A. BAIRD LOGGING BUNK May 29, 1945.

1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 15,

Inventor y 1945- G. A. BAIRD 2,377,201

LOGGING BUNK Filed Juxie 15, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventor 49 3. Ga/eoo/v .6. 15/4/20 WW E M32318 May 29, G A A D 2,377,201

LOGGING BUNK Filed June 15, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 5??? 4 Inventor G'o/wo/v 19. 5/9/20,

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Patented May 29, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE' nooomo BUNK Gordon AQBair-d, Hopewell, Va.

Application June 15, 1944, Serial No. 540,501

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in logging bunks, the principal object in view being to provide an inexpensive, simply constructed, power-driven logging bunk equipped with power means for loading the same.

Other and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my invention, all of which, together with the precise nature of my improvements, will be readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure l is a view in plan of my improved lolging bunk in its preferred embodiment,

Figure 2 is a view in section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view in rear elevation, and

Figure 4 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, my improved logging bunk, as illustrated, comprises a rear, upwardly arched, wheel-carried bolster equipped with a. pair of traction wheels 2 rotatably mounted on stub axles, as at 3, a reach bar 4 extending forwardly from the bolster I and suitably secured to the upper edge portion thereof, and a pair of side braces 5 extending forwardly from said bolster I and converging forwardly to the reach bar 4 to which the front ends of said braces 5 are suitably secured in any usual manner.

The front end of the reach bar 4 is supported by a caster-type steering wheel unit 6 including a steering post I extended upwardly through a sleeve 8 suitably secured to said reach bar. Forwardly diverging strut rods 8 extend from the reach bar 4 to the outer ends of a transverse brace bar III, on the bottom of the sleeve 8, said rods 8 and bar I functioning to brace the sleeve 8 and hence the steering unit 6 in a manner which will be clear.

Suitably mounted on the reach bar 4 and the braces is a power plant I I in the form of a truck motor I2, the radiator of which is shown at It, and a truck transmission I4 in the rear of said motor and including the usual gear shift lever I5.

Between the transmission I 4 and the stub axles I, a conventional rear end differential drive assembly I6, such as used on the ordinary motor truck, is secured at its ends to the braces 5 by suitable clamps I1 and bolts I8 for operation by the transmission I4. A pair of sprocket and chain drives I8 extend between the outer ends of the axles 28 of the assembly I8 and the traction wheels 2,

A second rear end differential drive assembly, of the worm gear drive type, is mounted in the rear of the assembly I8 on the bolster I in brackets 22 upstanding from said bolster and secured thereto, as at 23. The second assembly 2| is adapted, in any suitable manner, as by locking the usual spider gears, not shown, for rotation of the shafts 24 thereof in synchronism and said shafts are extended out of the assembly 2| and equipped with a pair of cable winding reels 25 fast thereon and located at opposite sides of the bolster I. The assembly 2| is designed to be driven through asuitable shaft 28 and atn 21, of the usual automobile type, to which the transmission I4 is operatively connected in any suitable manner. The transmission 21 is controlled by the usual gear shift lever 28. Any suitable type of brake, such as that designated as a unit by reference numeral 28', may be provided for the shaft 26.

A pair of cables 29 are suitably connected to the reels 28 with terminal chains 30 for passing under logs to be loaded and one of which may be provided with a suitable hook 3| for connection to a selected link ofthe other chain. At a suitable point forwardly of the motor I2,a transverse bar 82 extends across the reach bar 4 with the usual forward chain 38 attached to one end thereof for passing under logs to be loaded and attachment in any suitable manner of its other end to the other end of said bar 32.

A transverse bar 34 extends across the braces 5 in the rear of the motor I2 and is secured to said braces by bolts 35. A seat post 36 extends upwardly and rearwardly from said bar 34 and supports the usual drivers seat 31.

The steering post I is designed to be operated by any conventional type of worm driven steering mechanism, such as that designated 38 and to which a rearwardly and upwardly inclining steering shaft 39 is operatively connected by a universal joint 40. The rear end of the steering shaft 39 is journaled in an upstanding bearing bracket 4| rising from the bar 34 in front of the driver's seatjl, and is equipped with a suitable steering wheel 42.

The operation of my improved logging bunk will be readily understood. With the gear shift lever IS in neutral position, thus disabling the drive to the wheels 2, or, if desired, the motor I2 stopped, thegear shift lever 28 may be set into neutral position to disconnect the shaft 26 from the transmission 21 so that by pulling on the chains 30, the cables 29 may be unwound from the reels 25 so that said chains may be passed under logs to be loaded and connected together in the manner already described, it being understood that when said shaft 26 is so disconnected, the reels 25 may be caused to idle reversely, under pull on said chains 30. With the front chain 33 suitably arranged around the front ends of the logs to lift said ends off the ground, the gear shift lever 28 may be set so that the transmission 28 will drive the assembly 2|, and hence the wheels 25, to wind up the cables 29 and lift the rear ends of the logs off the ground so that said logs are suspended at their rear ends from the reels 25. The speed at which the reels 25 are driven may be predetermined by appropriate setting of the lever 28 to correspondingly condition the transmission 21, as will be clear. The manner in which the drive to the wheels 2 may be initiated and controlled will be readily understood without detailed explanation. In unloading logs, if the gear shift lever 28 is set to neutral and the shaft 26 thus conditioned for idling, the reels 25 will be caused to'rotate so as to unwind the cables 29 and has not been considered necessary to illustrate nor describe the details of construction thereof.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a logging bunk, a frame, a pair of rear ground wheels supporting said frame, a motoroperated differential drive for said wheels comprising a variable speed transmission, cable winding reels on said frame, and means to drive said reels in unison comprising a second variable speed transmission operative by the transmission first mentioned.

2. In a logging bunk, a frame, a rear carriage bolster supporting said frame, a pair of rear ground wheels supporting said bolster, a motor drive for said wheels, 9. pair of cable winding reels mounted on the rear end of said frame at opposite sides thereof, respectively, a pair of cables on said reels including end logging chains and adapted to be unwound from said reels to depend in the rear of said bolster, a variable speed drive for said wheels operative by said motor drive and including a transmission, and a second variable speed drive for operating said reels in unison comprising a second transmission operative by the transmission first mentioned.

GORDON A. BAIRD. 

